PPP marks Karsaz attack anniversary in Lahore, vows to make Bilawal Prime Minister

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) commemorated the victims of the 2007 Karsaz attack at a ceremony in Lahore on Saturday with party leaders paying tribute to the workers who lost their lives and reaffirming their commitment to democracy.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) commemorated the victims of the 2007 Karsaz attack at a ceremony in Lahore on Saturday with party leaders paying tribute to the workers who lost their lives and reaffirming their commitment to democracy.

The event was organised by PPP Central Punjab at the party secretariat in Model Town. Addressing the gathering, Ahsan Rizvi the party’s deputy information secretary for Punjab said more than 180 PPP workers had been killed in the October 18, 2007 attack.

Rizvi described the sacrifices of party workers as an important part of Pakistan’s democratic history. He said their struggle had contributed to the return of democratic governments from 2008 onwards. He also noted that members of the Peoples Students Federation were among those who died in the attack.

Rizvi said the party would continue the political mission of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto. He expressed confidence that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would become prime minister in the future adding that the party was committed to working towards that goal and promoting national development.

During his address, Rizvi criticised rival political parties and questioned their commitment to democracy. He also made allegations concerning Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and the political circumstances surrounding it. These statements reflected his views and were not independently verified.

Senior PPP leader Shahida Jabeen who presided over the ceremony said party workers had continued their political struggle despite facing repression imprisonment and detention. She expressed hope that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would lead the country towards peace, prosperity and a new era of development.

Several other party leaders attended the gathering, including Zeeshan Shami, Malik Imran Khokhar, Advocate Hasnain Anwar Rajput, Sabit Hassan, Afraz Naqvi, Zakir Hussain Bukhari, Arif Zafar and Tahir Ghalib. A large number of students were also present.

Shami and Rajput addressed the participants. They spoke about the sacrifices of the party and its long political struggle for democracy.

The anniversary provided PPP leaders and supporters an opportunity to remember those killed in the Karsaz attack and re-iterate party’s political commitments and plans for the future.